Pipe grooving tool



April 14, 1953 'J. H. KROOSS 2,634,643

' PIPE GROOVING TOOL Filed June 26, 1947 s sheets-Sheet 1 5 JOHN. H. KROOS s;

April 14,1953 J. H. KROOSS 2,634,643

' PIPE GROOVING TOOL Filed June 26, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. H. KRooss,

J. H. KROOSS PIPE GROOVING TOOL April 14, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 26, 1947 Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE GBOOVING TOOL Application J une 25, 1947, Serial No. 757,091

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a pipe Working tool and more particularly to a tool for cuttin grooves in the periphery of pipes and the like.

In the past the grooving of the periphery of pipes near their ends, which are to be joined, has been accomplished in an inefficient way and in a way found largely impractical in the field by the adaptation of tools known as "portable square end pipe cutters. Difiering in operating and design principles, these tools are diflicult to operate, extremely inaccurate, and require unusua1 ingenuity to achieve their purpose.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tool for grooving pipe which is automatic, simple, easily operated and accurate in function in addition to being light in weight.

A further object of this invention as to provide a pipe grooving tool adaptable to operate on various sizes of pipe, it being readily changed from one size to another.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool in which the cutter is kept under constant load or pressure during the grooving operation thereby rendering it self-feeding.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a grooving tool in which the depth of the groove cut is automatically controlled and which depth can be varied by simple adj stme t of the cutter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grooving tool having means to prevent longitudinal movement along the pipe, it being essential for satisfactory operation of the tool that no longitudinal movement occurs during the first few revolutions of the tool, or until the cutter or knife has cut a groove sufficiently deep to restrain any such movement.

A still further object is to provide means for locating the tool on the pipe end thus automatically locating the distance of the groove from the pipe end.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the roovin tool;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the tool complete;

Figure 4 is a plan View of a conventional ratchet with handle used for rotating the grooving tool of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the m in body member free or the various esse. wblv Parts;

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 oi mgure a, showing the machined, tapped, and drilled p01- tions of the main body member for receiving and supporting the various assembly parts;

Figure '7 is a view in side elevation of the cover member;

Figure 8 is a view of the cover member at right angles to that of Figure 7;

Figures 9 and 10 show modifications of the invention.

Referring to the drawings more particularly. l' represents the main body member as shown in Figures 2, 5 and 6. This is a single castin comprising th assembly base for all parts in the mechanism. This body member ha a bore 2 of an inside diameter to permit free action 01 a pipe end without unnecessary looseness. Cast on one end of the body member I around the periphery thereof are the notches 3 to enga the dog 4 of the conventional ratchet 5 shown in Figure 4, and shown associated in position on the body member I in Figure 2. This is a more or less conventional ratchet consisting of a casting 5, Figure 4, bored out and tapped to receive a handle 6 of standard pipe and bored and machined to receive a spring loaded ratchet pin or dog 4, which engages in the notches 3 on the periphery of the main body member I. The ratchet pin 4 can be withdrawn by pulling on the knob 4 against the action of the sprin to permit removal of the ratchet from the main tool member I.

The other end of the main body member I. that is the end opposite that just mentioned above, is machined, drilled and tapped in various locations, as best shown in Figure 6, for reception of the assembly parts. Referrin to Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that supported in this end of the main body member are the various assembly parts consisting of a pair of rollers I mounted on pins 8. The ends 5 of the pins 8 are supported in drilled opening In in the main body casting I as shown best in Figure 2. The other end ll of the pins 8 upon which the rollers are mounted are supported in a cover member 12 which will be described in detail later. In one side of the body member 1, substantially opposite the rollers l, is an adjustable clamp screw I3 adapted to operate in a radial direction within the threaded opening It provided in the main body member I. The rollers '1 and the clamp screw [3 constitute the means for centering the pipe tool on the pipe initially, the clamp screw 13 being set up until th pipe bears lightly against the two opposing rollers.

Once the cutting operation has commenced, it is found that this clamp screw I3 takes little or no thrust and, therefore, creates a minimu of friction. The end I3a of the clam screw I3 is hardened to eliminate wear and the knurled handle or head I5 of the screw I3 permits easy adjustment. j

The main body member I is provided with opposing machined grooves I6, IE to receive a cutter I 1 for grooving the pipe, said cutter I! being adapted to travel in said grooves I6 in a radial direction.

The cover member I2 is secured to the main body member I by means of screws I8 and serves to tie the assembly into the body I. The cover member I2 is provided with a radially outward ly extending portion I9 having a downwardly projecting shoulder 20. The downwardly pro-, jecting shoulder 26 has an opening 2I in line radially with the cutter IT. The opening 2i is adapted to receive 'a spindle 22 threaded at one end and having a handle 23 threadedly engaging the end of the spindle 22 to provide for adjustment of said spindle. The inner end of the spindle 22 has a U-shaped portion 24 adapted to receive the end 25 of the cutter opposite its cutting edge 26. A spring 21 is mounted on the spindle 22 and bears at one end against shoulder 28 of the U-shaped portion 26 of the spindle 22, and at the other end against the downwardly projecting shoulder 20 on the cover member I2. This spring constantly maintains pressure on the cutter during the grooving operation.

Mounted upon the upper side of the cover member I2 in line with the spindle 22 and travel of the cutter I1 is a stop member consisting of a short piece of bar stock 29 slotted as at 3D to receive a pin 3|. The bar 29 is adjustably secured in position on the cover member I2 by means of a screw 32. The pin 3! is machined with a collar 33 to one side of its center point lengthwise. The longer end 34 of the pin 3I connects the cutter I7 to the U-shaped portion 2 3 of the spindle 22. The shorter end 35 of the pin 3! travels in the slot 3Q of the bar 29. The collar 33 of the pin 3I prevents end movement of the pin in either direction.

The outer end 39 of the bar 29 is drilled and threaded to receive an adjusting screw 37 hav ing its head 38 partially sunk in a groove 39 in the cover member I2 so as to anchor the screw 3? with respect to the cover I2 as far as longitudinal movement is concerned. It will be seen that by loosening the screw 32 and rotating the screw 37, the position of the slotted bar 29 can be changed in a radial direction thereby varying the limit of travel of the end 35 of the pin SI and as a result automatically providing a control of the depth of travel of the cutter radially inwardly. Therefore by this simple adjustment feature a definite and accurate depth of the groove obtained by the cutter can be automatically controlled.

A stop consisting of a short bar 40 secured to the cover member I2 and projecting radially inwardly provides means for locating the tool on a pipe end thus automatically locating the distance of the cutter I I from the end of the pipe and as a result the position of the groove cut with respect the end of said pipe.

The operation of the grooving tool thus far described is as follows:

The grooving tool is thrust on the end of the pipe to be grooved until the end of the pipe takes up against the pipe stop 40 thus automatically locating the distance of the cutter I I from the end of the pipe assuring the correct position of the cutter with respect to the end of the pipe. Light hand pressure holds the tool in this position while the tool is centered on the pipe by adjustment of the clamp screw I3. Spring load compression is then placed on the cutter IT by backing on" the handle 23. With the cutter I! now bearing on the outer surface of the pipe at the proper position, the tool is now ready to begin cutting the groove. Cranking action is then started by up and down strokes of the ratchet handle 6. The tension of the spring 27 is sufficient to feed the cutter I? until the travel of the cutter I1 is stopped by reason of the end 35 of the pin 3I' reaching the end of its travel in the slot 30 of the bar 29. At this point the cutter removes any burrs left in the groove and the release of the cutting load indicates to the operator that the groove is complete, whereupon the cutter I! is then withdrawn against the spring 21 by turning up on the handle 23; The grooving tool is then-withdrawn from the end of the pipe and is ready for the next operation.

Figures 9 and 10, show a modification of the pipe grooving tool. In this modification all the various parts of the tool assembly are the same as above set forth with one exception which will now be described.

For satisfactory operation of the tool it is essential that no longitudinal movement occurs during the first few revolutions of the tool, or until the cutting knife has cut a groove sufficiently deep to restrain any such movement. If the axes of the tool rollers I are exactly parallel with the axis of the pipe there is no tendency for the tool to move in either direction longitudinally on the pipe. However, the force applied to the ratchet handle in rotating the tool, the uneven surface of the pipe being grooved, and the necessary play in the roller assembly do cause a tendency for the 'tool'to move along the pipe. The longitudinal movement in one direction is limited by the pipe stop 46. In the other direction noth-, ing prevents the tool from creeping on" the pipe.

In order to counteract-creeping of the tool in a direction off the pipe and to provide a positive creep in the other direction, the modification as shown in Figures 9 and 10 is provided.

In this modification the rollers 7' in the tool are set with their axes am at a slight angle to the pipe axis bb. That is, the rollers i are mounted in the grooving tool so that the front end of the roller axis cm is inclined in the direction in which the tool revolves or moves.

In Figures 9 and 10 assume the pipe :2 is stationary and the tool is revolving about the pipe in a clock-wise direction as shown by the arrows. The front end of the roller axis aa leads the rear end by a slight amount in the clockwise direction. As the tool revolves about the pipe the rollers 77 also revolve and tend to move the tool further on to the pipe :0 until the longitudinal movement is prevented by the pipe stop 40. When this condition is reached, rolling and sliding contact occurs between the rollers and the pipe. As a result throughout the entire grooving operation a positive force is exerted by the rollers l holding it onto the pipe 33.

From the foregoing it is believed the construction, operation and advantages of the tool may be readily understood and itwill be manifest that changes may be made in the details of the device without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pipe grooving tool, a housing formed with an opening therein for receiving a pipe, ratchet means mounted on said housing for rotating said housing with respect to a pipe seated in said opening, rollers carried by said housing bordering said opening for engaging a pipe received in said opening, and mounting means mounting said rollers obliquely with respect to the axis of said opening whereby on the rotating of said housing, with respect to a pipe received therein, said housing will tend to travel along the pipe, an abutment member for engaging the end of a pipe and limiting the travel of the housing therealong, a cutting tool mounted on said housing for radial movement toward and away from the axis of said pipe receiving opening, resilient means for feeding said cutting tool in operative direction, positive means engaged with said cutting tool for retracting the same against the action of said resilient means, a stop pin extending laterally with respect to said cutting tool, a stop member mounted on said housing in overlapping relation with respect to said stop pin, and an adjusting member engaged with said housing and said stop member for setting said stop member at desired position to limit the inward movement of said cutting tool in response to the action of said resilient means.

2. In a pipe grooving tool, a housing formed with an opening therein for receiving a pipe, means on said housing for rotating the same with respect to a pipe seated in said opening, an abutment member carried by said housing and extending into the path through said opening for engaging the end of a pipe seated in said open: ing, rollers carried by said housing and bordering said opening for engaging a pipe received in said opening, mounting means for the rotatable mounting of said rollers on said housing, said mounting means including means for mounting said rollers obliquely with respect to the axis of said opening whereby, on the rotation of said housing with respect to a pipe received within said opening, said housing will tend to move inward along the pipe and thus maintain itself in desired position thereon by maintaining said abutment member against the end of the pipe, and a cutting tool mounted on said housing to project into said opening and for movement within the same.

3. In a pipe grooving tool, a housing formed with a portion for the axial reception of a pipe to be grooved, means carried by said housing for rotating the same about a pipe seated within said receiving portion, a pipe end engaging stop carried by said housing for engaging a pipe received within said pipe receiving portion for initially mounting said housing in desired axial position on a pipe, a plurality of rollers, mounting means for the rotatable mounting of said rollers on said housing in position to engage a pipe received within said pipe receiving portion, said mounting means including means for mounting said rollers obliquely with respect to the axis of said pipe receiving portion, whereby said housing when rotated will tend to move inward on said pipe and keep itself in desired position by maintaining said stop against the end of the pipe, and grooving means mounted on said housing and extending inwardly of said receiving portion for engaging a pipe received therewithin.

JOHN H. KROOSS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,092,304 Strickler Apr. 7, 1914 1,237,677 Murphy Aug. 21, 1917 1,382,219 Munger June 21, 192 1,707,e78 Hyde Apr. 2, 1929 1,727,406 Nelson Sept. 10, 1929 2,057,011 Corwin Oct. 13, 1936 2,261,214 Bierman Nov. 4, 1941 2,358,873 Moss Sept. 26, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,585 Denmark Sept. 26, 1899 

